


Matsamsthah

by Sarina_Argus



Category: The Orville (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:53:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22295860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarina_Argus/pseuds/Sarina_Argus
Summary: The Orville makes first contact with a very unusual race.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

“Starmapping in the Sigma Tau quadrant. What other boring assignment could Command possibly have given us?” Mercer groused to no one in particular.

“After the Kaylons, the Krill, my birthday and subsequent almost execution, I could use a little boring right about now,” Grayson responded, settling comfortably into her chair. “Anything new, Gordon?”

“Same stars, different day,” he sighed.

“No energy fluctuations, no new life signs, no signs of previous life, no new planets…” Mercer started drumming his fingers on his chair. 

“There is nothing wrong with some quiet-“ Bortus started, only to be cutoff aggressively by Malloy, Mercer, and Grayson, the others on the bridge shaking their heads or rolling their eyes disapprovingly. 

“Don’t say the Q word! Don’t ever say the Q word, especially on duty!” Malloy was adamant.

“What is the Q word?” Bortus asked, confused.

Malloy ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. “The Q word! The one word you never say on duty!”

“You mean Quiet?” More yelling. 

“Stop saying that!” Malloy pleaded.

“What is wrong with the word Quiet?” Bortus asked.

“Captain!” Malloy implored.

“I believe it is a superstition,” explained Isaac. “If one says the word Quiet too many times, something will inevitably happen.” Now disapproving looks and hisses were pointed towards the android.

“But,” Bortus countered, “If the crew is dissatisfied by our current situation, wouldn’t a change be most welcome?”

“Yeah,” grumbled Malloy, “but the change usually isn’t good.” He turned back to his console. “Approaching dust belt by Sigma Tau 3.” The dust belt was mostly small asteroids and other planetary debris that collected around the third planet of Sigma Tau. “Deploying sonar buoy.” 

The ship fired a small sonic device, normally used in mapping topologic anomalies, into the dust belt. Caught in the gravity pull of the belt, it powered into place, gently nudging a small asteroid out of sync. The asteroid, no longer being pulled along in the belt, tapped another, slightly larger one into another, also larger asteroid, pushing it out of the belt and towards the Orville, where it would have easily been deflected by the ship’s shields, had they been activated, had the ice ring surrounding the dust ring not coated the asteroid with a water film, and had the asteroid not been made of caesium. The resulting explosion struck the ship’s aft, taking out two of their three tensor coils, compromising life support, and leaving the Orville floating ‘dead stick’. 

The crew reacted quickly, Malloy stabilizing the ship. 

“What the hell… Damage Report!” Mercer bellowed. 

LaMarr’s voice crackled over the comm. “Captain, we’ve lost two of the engines, and we’re holding the third together with duct tape! Rerouting power to fire suppression, and life support!”

“Casualties?”

Dr. Finn responded, “Standing by, what happened?”

“Someone said the Q word.”


	2. Chapter 2

In the ready room, Mercer sat with his senior staff. “Status.”

LaMarr stood up, covered in carbon debris and dust. “One lucky shot in just the right spot. Life support is holding mostly, but we’re stuck here until we can fix the other two coils.”

“Navigation is shot,” Malloy responded. “When the coils went out, the power surge fried the helm. And with the two coils down, we couldn’t move even if we did have nav.”

“Casualties?”

“No fatalities, thankfully, but we’ll be busy for a while. Four concussions, several serious burns and bruises, a few broken bones, but nothing we can’t handle.” Dr. Finn stated. 

“The fleet can send the closest ship to tow us home…” Mercer started, “but it’ll take them at least three weeks to get here at top speed.” He sat back in his chair. “So basically we’re stuck.”

The comm beeped in the ready room. “Captain, we’re being hailed. Deep space audio using a comm wave not used by the Union.”

“On my way.”

Mercer and Grayson walked briskly to the bridge. Malloy took his spot at the non-functioning helm, LaMarr took station at one of the vacant chairs.

“Audio only?” Mercer looked at his crew. “Here goes.” He cleared his throat. “This is Captain Ed Mercer of the Planetary Union Vessel Orville.”

A feminine voice rang clearly through the speaker. “Hallo the ship Orville! I am the Lady Teiris Kallen of the Bialan research vessel Alida. We hath heard thy distress signal. May we be-est of assistance?” 

Mercer made the signal to mute the comm. “What the hell was that? And what’s a Bialan?”

“Sounds like something from Romeo and Juliet,” Grayson replied, equally confused. 

“You are correct, Commander,” chimed Isaac. “The speech pattern is similar to that from the Elizabethan age. As for Bialan, there is no Planet in the Union known by that name

“Great, we’re making first contact with Lady MacBeth for Triple A.” He nodded to the comm officer. “Thank you for your offer. Our ship is stranded with minimal life support. We have over three hundred people on board and need help.”

“Good now. Mine own ship can be-est thither in twelve of thy hours. However, if 't be true thy life support systems art compromised, I can has't a vessel thither in two hours with mine own ship to followeth. Would yond suffice?”

Mercer muted the comm. “Huh?”

Isaac responded. “Lady Kallen said she can have her ship here in twelve hours, but since our life support is compromised, she will have a support vessel here in two hours and her ship will follow.”

“Yes!” He nodded to the comm again. “Verily, that would be fantastic...est. We thank you most heartily.”

There was an amused lilt in the responding voice, “Thou art welcome, and we behold fia to meeting thee. In two hours, captain.” The signal dropped, and Mercer looked to Grayson. 

“The next person to say the Q word is getting thrown into the recycler.”

Mercer, Grayson, Finn, LaMarr, and Keyali (with her security contingent) stood in the landing bay, dressed in their finest. “It’s still a first contact situation,” Grayson explained. 

The sleek, sickle-shaped shuttle floated silently into the bay. Upon landing, a small hatch opened in the rear of the ship. 

Five humanoid figures exited the shuttle. Dressed in grey tunic jackets and black trousers, they were led by a female humanoid with glossy black hair drawn into a neat ponytail. 

“I’m Captain Ed Mercer of the Planetary Union.”

“Well be with you, Captain Mercer. I am Lady Teiris Kallen of the Biala.”

“Lady Kallen. Welcome to the Orville. We thank you for your offer of assistance.”

“Thou art very welcome. Prithee allow me to introduce mine own smith, Master Tsu and mine own leech, Dr. Rezla.” Tsu was a tall woman with ice blond hair and slight build. Rezla was slightly shorter, stockier, with dark hair and an understated look of intelligence in his eyes.

“Um, right.” Mercer smiled uneasily to the two other party members. In a slightly panicked voice, “Yeah, this is mine own second in command, Kelly Grayson, my uh… leech, Dr. Finn, um…”

“My lady, prithee, this is taking still…” Tsu said quietly.

Kallen nodded. “Captain, I gage I cullionly thee nay harm. Prithee, may I approach?” She held her hands out in front of her and encouraged him to do the same. Stepping closer, she took his hands into hers and gazed up at him. Then, taking her right hand, she slowly touched his cheek and drew him into a deep kiss.

Grayson looked on with an uncomfortable half-smile. 

After a few moments, Kallen pulled away and smiled widely. “That’s better. Let’s start over. I am Lady Teiris Kallen commanding the Bialan Research Ship Alida. My engineer, Master Tsu, and my medical doctor, Doctor Rezla.” She spoke perfect Union Basic. Mercer seemed stunned.

“What just happened here?” Dr. Finn asked. 

Kallen looked quite satisfied with herself. “It’s a talent some of my people possess. If you’d allow us to demonstrate. Doctor?” Tsu and Rezla waited for consent, then stepped forward, Rezla to the doctor, Tsu to LaMarr. The kisses were just as thorough, and afterwards, the Bialans turned and favored their guards. 

“Touch telepathy?” Finn asked, slightly dazed.

“Not exactly. More accurately, osmosis. We can only learn languages in this way, as well as basic concepts-“

“Which is why you paired me with your Doctor and her with LaMarr.”

“It made the most sense. They, in turn will ‘teach’ our security officers.”

“Then how did you learn to speak Elizabethan English?”

Master Tsu interrupted. “My lady, with your permission, I’d like to get started on their life support. Perhaps explanations can wait until later?”

“Again, you’re correct. With your permission, Captain, we came to help.”

Mercer snapped out of his daze. “Of course. John LaMarr, our chief engineer, Dr. Claire Finn, our ship’s doctor.”

“If you’d follow me,” LaMarr said briskly, turning to leave the bay. Tsu bowed to Kallen, then to Mercer and left. 

“We’ve prepared our ship’s lounge for us to talk if you would come with us,” Grayson said, invitingly.

“Actually, Commander, Captain,” Finn responded, “I’d like to show Dr. Rezla the medical suites first. We’ll follow you up afterwards.”

“Sure, that’s fine,” Mercer replied. He watched Dr. Finn show the Bialan out of the shuttle bay, security guard in tow. 

Which left the Lady Kallen and her guard with them. Kallen smiled at Grayson. “Just let me signal my ship that all is well, then I will answer any questions I can.” She nodded to her guard, then spoke quietly into her wrist device. After a few moments, she gestured forward. “By your leave.”


	3. Chapter 3

“We’ve been aware of your Union for just under two centuries. You would have found us within five years.” Kallen began. “When we received your distress call, I asked our council if I could respond, given your technical status and immediate need. They agreed with me that you were, as you would say, ‘close enough,’ in both areas, as well as culturally.” 

“Your ship is a research vessel,” Mercer started. “How long have you been capable of interplanetary travel?”

“We’ve been capable of sub-light and light speed travel for a more than a millenia.” She sipped the cup of tea in front of her. “But after some disastrous attempts at First Contact, it was decided it would be for the greater good to let other worlds find us first. Still, we continued to study the galaxy and attempted to learn what we could without revealing our presence.”

“Then how did you come to speak Elizabethan English?” Grayson asked.

“We intercepted several entertainment transmissions from Earth and after many years of study, formulated several spoken languages from them. Only the exploratory crews were permitted to learn them, but not all have, and not all of them. I chose that language because it was the closest to your distress call, and this team because they knew the language.”

“But you could learn our language anyway. From us, through whatever that was you did with Ed.”

“True,” Kallen answered. “But only because you permitted it. You could have said no.” She let her statement hang in the air for a moment. “When we first began to explore our part of the galaxy, we came across people less technologically advanced. We couldn’t communicate effectively at first, and when we attempted to learn, we were seen as aggressors. We couldn’t ask permission if we didn’t know how. And because our advancement was seen as superiority by some cultures, they either feared us and thus told us only what they thought we wanted to hear, or hated us and wouldn’t communicate at all. Neither is conducive with an effective knowledge exchange.” She shrugged. “After our last failure, we decided to continue to learn, but from a distance. Our one planetary rule is ‘Harm none’ and we try to abide by that in every situation. Once a people is aware of us, we offer to share our technology and culture at a pace they are comfortable with.”

Remembering the last first contact situation, they couldn’t disagree. “How many worlds have found you?” Grayson asked.

“Inhabited? Just under five hundred. Some by accident, some, like you, who needed help.”

The chime interrupted their conversation. “Captain, we’re being hailed by the Alida.”

Mercer stood. “Shall we?”

She nodded and stood. “As you will.” The trio left the ready room for the bridge.

Grayson entered first, taking her place to the left of the captain. Kallen stood to his right. “Open a channel.”

“Hallo the ship, Orville. This is Lord Stallor of the Alida. I would speaketh to the Lady Kallen.”

Kallen stepped forward. “Lest I hither, Brinn.” Stallor was a true blond, with rich green eyes and a jawline plastic surgeons used to charge large fortunes for.

“My lady. Thither is an issue, so we shall beest did delay by an additional five hours.”

“An issue?”

“Nay harm, an additional stand ho we needeth.”

“As thee shall. We shall see thee lief.” The monitor went blank.

Grayson shook her head. “How do you do that? Are you a linguist?”

Kallen replied, “No, before I was given command, I was a nurse.”

“A nurse?” Mercer seemed unconvinced. 

“A nurse. I found if I could communicate with people, I could help them better. I could triage a situation faster than a doctor, and still keep the patient calm. So I set out to learn as many languages as possible. Which helps when commanding a ship.”

“How many languages do you know?” Grayson asked. 

“Three hundred twelve.”

“Did you learn them all the same way?” Mercer asked.

“A few I studied. Most I learned as I did yours.” She watched as his jaw tightened but said nothing.

The silence was broken by Dr. Finn and Dr. Rezla. “Captain, we went to the ready room…”

“There was a transmission from the Alida.” Mercer explained.

“They’ll be delayed another twelve hours. An unscheduled stop, but all is well.”

“Kelly, I’m going to engineering. You have the bridge.” He turned to Kallen. “Dr. Finn will escort you back to the Ready Room.”

This directive confused his crew, but they said nothing. Dr. Finn gestured to their visitors. “Right this way.” 

Mercer waited for them to exit the bridge, then turned to Grayson. “What do you think?”

“Hard to say. They seem very genuine in wanting to help.” Grayson offered. “Part of me is waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Me too,” Mercer agreed. “I’m going to send a message to command and explain what’s happening. Keep me posted.”

~~~~8~~~~

Mercer entered Engineering and was greeted by Dann, lying across one of the large panels, his large hands buried into the console. Engineering, normally brightly lit with glowing panels, was more like a recycling pile, with chips, wires, and other debris scattered all over the room. 

“Hey, Captain,” Dann called out. “Kinda busy here…”

“Yeah, I can tell,” Mercer answered. “Where’s LaMarr?”

“Up the pipe with Tsu.” He leaned his head towards the containment chambers. “She’s great, isn’t she?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, great.” Mercer approached the chambers. “LaMarr! You up there?”

“Be right down!” After a few moments, LaMarr slid down the access ladder, Master Tsu following slowly behind.

“Status Update.”

“Well, thanks to Tsu, we have life support and all other emergency systems stabilized. She was able to repair the one coil and we’re seeing if we can do anything with the second. The third is shot.”

“So where does that leave us?”

“The second coil would handle the basic propulsion, but without the third coil, it’s like driving an old lawn mower. We’ll get there, but it’s gonna take a while. We still have to start on the nav controls. And we still have no shields, no defensive weapons.”

“Still better than I expected,” Mercer sighed. “When you’re somewhere you can take a break, would you and Master Tsu join us in the Ready room?”

LaMarr looked at Tsu, who nodded. “Let us clean up a bit and we’ll be right there.”

~~~~*`~~~~

Mercer sat at the head of the table, his staff around him, visitors towards the other end. “Updates please?”

Dr. Finn began. “Sick bay is clear. Between our own procedures and the assistance from Dr. Rezla, we’ve been able to take care of all of the injuries. The good doctor has provided formulations that sped our wound healing time by three. It will take years to decipher and integrate the healing technology with our own. The good part is that it seems to be very similar to ours.”

LaMarr continued. “Life support is stabilized. We’re hoping to get power to the shields and defensive weapons. As for the engines, we need the second and third coil operational in order to make it back to the nearest Union base. Master Tsu thinks she can repair navigation.”

“Lady Kallen,” Tsu offered, “if we could take the Orville to Sydoc Bay, we could repair the engines and navigation in less than 72 hours. It’s closer than their own base.”

Kallen nodded. “I would have to contact the Prefect, but that shouldn’t be a problem.” She turned to Mercer. “If this is acceptable to you, Captain. The Alida can tow the Orville to Sydoc Bay before the night chimes.”

“What is Sydoc Bay?” Grayson asked. 

“Our closest repair yard,” Tsu explained. “I’m positive we can repair all the damage to your ship and your people can learn a bit more about our technology.”

“How close is this shipyard to your home planet?”

“It’s several light years outside our planetary system,” Rezla answered. 

“Captain Mercer, your thoughts?” Kallen asked.

“I would have to send a communique to command, but if you think it’s our best option…”

“Our engineers seem to think so. Commander?”

Grayson nodded. “It makes sense, and if they’re willing to help us, this is the perfect way to learn more about them as a people.”

Kallen turned back to Mercer. “Captain?”

Mercer stood up and turned to the windows. “Not the best First Contact situation. But when did we ever get a best case scenario?” He turned back to the group. “Let’s do it.” Mercer smiled. “Normally there’d be a big banquet with lots of dignitaries for our first contact dinner, but since our replicators are on the fritz...”

Kallen chimed in. “The replicator onboard our shuttle is fully operational. Perhaps you could program some simple dishes and we could have an informal meal in your landing bay.”

“Beer and Pizza,” mused Commander Grayson. When Kallen turned to her in question, she continued, “On Earth, if your friends came over and helped you do a large task, like moving furniture, or fixing a car, you would reward them with beer and pizza.”

“That sounds very appropriate,” Kallen replied. “With your permission, Captain.”

“Sure,” he shrugged. “We’ll get enough pomp and circumstance when the Olympia gets here.” He clapped his hands. “Beer and pizza tonight. Oooh, and make sure there’s that kind I like, with the pepperoni and the little cheese things…”

~~~~8~~~~

Mercer, Finn, Malloy, as well as many of the bridge, medical, and engineering crew converged on the shuttle bay, which had been arranged to accommodate numerous tables and blankets spread on the bay floor. Music was piped in over the intercoms, and tubs of ice and bottled beverages were scattered about the room. Grayson and Kallen greeted the newcomers. 

“I don’t know what pizza is, but it smells amazing,” Kallen began. “Kelly-that is, the commander programmed in several kinds into the replicator. As for beer, apparently there was plenty in your mess hall.” She turned to Mercer. “I’ll be contacting our Prefect now. It would be helpful if you were part of the conversation.”

“Of course.” He started up the shuttle ramp after Kallen. “Save me a slice!”

~~~~~8~~~~

“Commander Grayson allowed me to send our prefect a language program…” Kallen said smoothly, “so don’t be surprised when you hear him.”

“Thanks for the heads up. I guess I’ve been brushing up on my Shakespeare for nothing,” Mercer responded. At Kallen’s bland expression, he added quickly, “That’s a joke.”

“Oh, of course,” she responded. She tapped the comm. An older man appeared on screen.

“First Prefect”

“Lady Kallen.”

“May I present Captain Ed Mercer of the Orville.”

Mercer stepped forward. “It’s an honor. Thank you for allowing your people to assist us. It no doubt saved our lives.”

The Prefect nodded but said nothing.

“Your Grace,” Kallen explained, “the damage to their ship is more significant than we expected. With your permission, I’d like to use the Alida to bring the Orville to Sydoc Bay to complete repairs.”

The first prefect seemed agitated. “Sydoc Bay. Are you sure?”

“It’s closer than any of their own repair bases.”

“But you’ve been away from Biala for some time now. While your crew would welcome a taste of home with some dock time, our experiences with outworlders have shown… reason to be wary.” The Prefect was not hostile, but quite concerned.

“I will make sure their people will be aware of our customs,”Kallen assured.

Mercer added quickly, “My crew will respect your customs or they’ll remain on board. The last thing we want to do is offend you after all of the help you’ve given us.”

The prefect studied Mercer a moment. “We will hold you to that, Captain.” Turning to Kallen, “You may bring them, but they are under your purview. Any issues will reflect on you, Lady Kallen.”

“I understand. Do as you will…” she responded.

“Harm none.” The screen went blank.

Kallen exhaled hard. “That went well.” She turned to the captain, smiling again. “Shall we join the others? I’m quite intrigued by your dish, pizza.”

Mercer wasn’t quite convinced. “What kinds of customs do outworlders not welcome?”

Kallen shook her head. “I can explain better when my ship arrives.” She placed her hand on his arm; only the second time she’d touched him in a familiar way. “Please, trust me a bit longer.”

His gut nagged him for a moment, but he nodded. “Let’s get out there before Gordon eats all the mushrooms.”

Several hours later, many beers and much pizza was consumed. Uniform jackets were abandoned and an impromptu karaoke concert commenced. Several of the crew began to retire. 

“The Alida should be here with eight hours. We should probably get some rest before then.” Kallen grabbed her jacket and a last slice of pizza. “I will brief you and your crew about our tow procedures after our morning chimes.” She headed back to the shuttle.

“Lady Kallen,” Mercer called. “We prepared guest quarters for you and your people. If you’d follow us, we’ll show you the way.”

Kallen turned to her crew, then back to Mercer. “Thank you for your kindness. One of our security personnel will stay with our shuttle.”

Mercer led the group to a series of rooms, leaving Lady Kallen’s for last. Entering the room, he showed her the comm and the other amenities. “Please let me know if you need anything.”

She followed him in, tossing her jacket on the nearest chair. “Thank you again, Captain. While I was prepared to sleep on our shuttle, I must admit, I wasn’t looking forward to it.”

“It’s the very least we could do, Lady Kallen.”

“Just Teiris please,” she said quietly.

“Teiris,” he amended. He felt the knot in his gut start to relax again. “And you can call me Ed.”

“Ed,” she repeated. She settled onto the chaise. “Would you like to stay and talk for bit? I can begin to advise you about our customs.”

He stepped forward hesitantly, then caught himself. “I’d better go. Busy day tomorrow, gotta get some Zees, ya know,” he stammered, backing into the door. He let out an obviously fake and exaggerated yawn. “Good night, Lady—I mean Teiris.”

He waited for the door to close before making a bee-line to Grayson’s quarters. “Kelly, it’s Ed. You got a minute?”

He stood, fidgeting in the corridor, waiting for the door to open.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?” she asked immediately. She looked like she’d just gotten out of bed. She backed up, letting him into her quarters.

“Something feels weird about this.” Mercer began pacing back and forth. “Something feels really weird. Does it feel weird to you? I mean, like, weird-weird?”

“Slow down.” She flopped on the couch. “What are you talking about?”

“The Bialans. It’s like they’re perfect. They’re smart, they’re generous, they’re good looking. What’s wrong with them?”

“Ed, calm down.” She pulled him to sit on the couch next to her. “What’s going on?”

“Kallen. When we talked to her Prefect, he was worried we wouldn’t be accepting of their culture. I assured them our folks would behave or wouldn’t be allowed on-planet. He told her any problems would be on her.” He stared hard at Grayson. “What could be so bad that she’d have to vouch for the entire ship? And why would she be willing to do it?”

“Did you ask her?”

“Yeah, and she said it would be easier to explain when her ship arrived. But then tonight, she offered to tell me about some of their customs in her quarters.”

“She hit on you.”

“No! I mean, no, I don’t think so.” He turned a puzzled look to her. “Do you think she was?”

Grayson sighed loudly. “Ed, it’s past midnight, and I’m tired. The last thing I want to hear about is how you think the worst of a people that have literally saved our ship simply because she hit on you.”


	4. Chapter 4

Mercer checked his reflection one last time before heading to the bridge. The Alida hailed them, saying they were close, so Lady Kallen would be on the bridge to give final instructions. Grayson entered the ready room.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“You ok?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he answered. “Just tired,” he added. Grayson was unconvinced.

“LaMarr and Tsu got an early start on the nav. They’re hoping to get directional pulses operational. It will make it easier to get into position for their tractor beam.”

Mercer nodded, staring at his comm pad. “Command approved the trip to Sydoc Bay. They want everyone on their best behavior and expects extremely thorough reports from all of the command staff.”

“I’ll let Dr. Finn know.” She headed to the door. “Shall we?”

Mercer exhaled. “Let’s go.”

They entered the bridge. Kallen was standing near the comm panel. “Surface when you’re close, Alida.”

“Acknowledged. Surfacing in ten seconds.”

The crew watched the screen, waiting for the glimpse of the other ship. Malloy said, “Captain, detecting a huge anomaly off the bow.”

“That will be the Alida,” Kallen replied. Suddenly, the Alida surfaced. It was massive, much larger than the Union Leviathan-class heavy cruisers or transports. The U-shaped vessel was dark gray with sensor arrays scattered all over her hull, and huge lights and technical outcroppings covering the hull. 

“That’s a research ship?” Mercer exclaimed in disbelief.

“Of course.” Kallen explained, “We are off planet for long stretches of time. In order for the crews to function effectively, we try to accommodate our people with every convenience.”

“When was the last time you were home?” Grayson asked.

“Over two years ago,” Kallen answered. 

“Is your family meeting you at Sydoc Bay?”

“No, I have no family there,” she answered matter-of-factly. The screen came on, cutting off any other conversation.

“Lady Kallen, Captain Mercer. The Alida is arrived and is at your service,” Stallor said, a bit of hesitation in his words, but genuine warmth in his intent. 

Mercer looked at Kallen. “Did you send him a program too?” He tried to keep his tone light, but Grayson gave him a questioning look.

Kallen answered, “Commander Grayson mentioned I should probably send one to my ship as well, so you could better understand us both.” If she noticed anything unusual in his tone, she said nothing.

“Great,” he replied. 

“Captain,” Stallor began, “I understand we will be taking you and your ship with us to Sydoc Bay for repairs. If it pleases you, it would be safest to transfer your people to the Alida before affixing the transport lines. We have several shuttles at your disposal to move your people.”

Mercer knew the Bialan was right regarding the safety, but he still bristled at what he felt was abandoning the Orville. “Thank you for your consideration.”

Kallen noted this hesitation and responded, “Stallor, why don’t I bring Captain Mercer and Commander Grayson over to the Alida to go over the towing strategy.”

“Commander Bortus and Dr. Finn can supervise the transport plans for our folks,” Grayson responded. 

Mercer agreed. “Sounds good.” Mercer looked around the bridge. “Bortus, you have the bridge, begin transport planning.”

~~~~~8~~~~~

Kallen piloted the shuttle into the massive landing bay. “Welcome to the Alida,” she said simply, her voice laced with pride.

They exited the shuttle and were greeted by Stallor, who headed a group of three. 

“Lady Kallen,” he murmured with a smile. Kallen smiled as well. She took his hands into hers and kissed him. She then kissed the other waiting crew members. 

Stallor greeted the newcomers. “Captain Mercer, Commander Grayson. I’m Lord Brinn Stallor, first officer of the Alida.” His speech was more smooth now, the warmth still genuine. “Welcome aboard. I hope all is well with your ship.”

“As well as can be expected,” Mercer responded, extending his hand. Stallor took it tentatively and shook hands. Stallor then shook hands with Grayson. “If you’ll come with me, we have refreshments waiting for you at our command table.”

They headed out of the hangar.

“What have I missed?” Kallen asked.

“Nothing interesting. Tech drop went well, but we diverted to Seti to provide medical supplies. We can replenish at Sydoc Bay.”

“What happened?” she asked, concerned.

“There was a heat wave that contaminated the vaccines they had. We had plenty, so we gave them some of ours...”

Grayson and Mercer quietly observed the conversation between Kallen and Stallor. There was an ease between them that indicated they’d been serving together for a long time. If there was more than just a friendly relationship, they couldn’t tell.

Entering through sliding double doors, they entered the command table, an equivalent to the Ready Room. There was a large conference table, with several chairs surrounding it, but the most notable thing was the view. Large transparent windows seemed to drop into nothingness, giving an unlimited view of the surrounding galaxy. It allowed Mercer to survey the damage to the Orville from the outside. He considered it a miracle they were still intact. The tri-foils took the brunt of the explosion: the first and second coil were completely destroyed, the third was missing a large piece. 

“Oh my god,” murmured Grayson. “How did we survive that?”

Mercer turned to Stallor. “You really think your people can fix this in three days?”

“If Master Tsu said it can be done, I’ll not disagree with her. She knows more about engines than anyone on the ship,” Stallor answered. He gestured to the chairs. “Please enjoy our early meal. A few more of our officers are on their way.”

Mercer and Grayson went to the buffet and looked over the offerings. “What are you gonna have?” Mercer asked. He eyed what looked like fruit with some caution. 

Grayson studied what looked like a pastry. “I don’t know. What are you gonna have?”

“I don’t know. I never know what to have at these things.”

Grayson sighed. “Just try one of those. They look interesting.”

“But what if I don’t like them.”

“Then don’t finish it.” She gestured to another dish. “How about that?”

“It’s purple.”

“So?”

“Purple is not a food.”

“Purple is a food.”

“Name me one purple food,” Mercer challenged.

“Grapes are purple and you like grapes.”

‘Grapes are purple on the outside.”

“They’re purple inside too. And what about eggplant?”

“I hate eggplant.”

“You love eggplant.”

“I despise eggplant.”

“What about eggplant parmesan?”

“You can hardly taste the eggplant. It tastes like deep fried cheese in good tomato sauce.”

“You’re unbelievable. Just pick something.”

“You first.”

Grayson reached for the pastry. 

“No, I was gonna pick that.”

“We can both have it.”

“But what if I don’t want it?”

“Then why would you pick it?”

“It looked interesting.”

“Fine, you get it, I’ll get the fruit thing.”

“No, you take it. I’ll just try some of yours.”

“Ed…”

Kallen approached them at that moment. “Please, help yourselves. I know it’s not beer and pizza, but it has its merits.” She reached over and took a pastry and some fruit. She put a piece of the purple dish on Mercer’s plate. “This is one of my favorites. I hope you’ll like it.” Smiling, she handed the sweet to Grayson then turned to take her place at the table. Grayson quickly took a few more items and glared at Mercer.

Mercer stared at his plate. “Purple is not a food.”

Grayson gave him a pained smile and walked to the table. Mercer stared a bit longer at the buffet, grabbed some fruit blindly, then took his place next to Grayson. 

“Ed, this is really good,” she said, holding the offending purple pastry. “It’s like a yogurt tart.”

Mercer gave her a superficial smile and started eating the fruit.

More Bialan officers joined them at the table, including Dr. Rezla and Master Tsu. Kallen stood and addressed the group. 

“On behalf of myself and my crew, we officially welcome you to the Alida. I know you have many questions, so with your permission, I’d like to make this as informal as possible. “

Stallor chimed in, “We’ll have enough formality when the Prefect gets here.”

Kallen winced, “Don’t remind me.”

Grayson asked. “How long will it take to get to Sydoc Bay?”

Kallen nodded to Stallor. He started, “No more than five of your hours. With your ship in tow, we want to take every precaution, hence the slow going.” 

Kallen continued, “During that time, we’ll be briefing you about our customs to prepare you to disembark. I recommend you select a limited contact party for the first night. You’ll also be meeting our Prefect, though hopefully before the night chimes. After you all have a bit experience with our customs and culture, you can decide who can go planetside and when.”

Mercer nodded. “If you think that’s best, but to be honest, I’m a bit concerned. Do you think we’ll be in any danger being offworlders learning your customs?”

Stallor looked to Kellen, who glanced at him briefly. “Not in what you consider danger,” she answered. “However, our customs… the last visitors to our homeworld were shocked and offended. We still have contact with them, but they choose to keep their distance, figuratively and literally.”

“That doesn’t make me any more confident,” Mercer stated.

Dr. Rezla added. “We understand your hesitance, Captain. Our society is more… permissive than other cultures we’ve come across. And because of this, we are reluctant to try to explain ourselves to others, since what we consider natural, others are more… reserved.”

Kallen finished, “As long as you remember in all things, our rule is No harm be done, you can safely partake in our culture and customs.”

Stallor explained, “As soon as you’ve selected your party, we’ll begin briefing them. Once you’ve experienced our Night, you can decide how best to disseminate the information to your people.”

Kallen mused, “We’ll also want to advise you on your clothing so you’ll not be so obvious as offworlders.”

“Nothing is more attractive than a naïve newcomer…” Rezla added.

Mercer’s comm activated. “Captain, we’ve completed transport preparations. Awaiting your orders.”

Stallor stood, “I’ll send over the shuttles, and help get our visitors settled. Even with such a short flight, we want your people to be comfortable.”

Grayson stood as well. “I’ll join you to help get our folks situated. If you don’t mind the assistance.”

Stallor gave her a smile that made her heart skip a moment. “I welcome it." To the table, “If you’ll excuse us.”

Kallen nodded. “Keep me advised.” She turned to Mercer. “If you’re interested, I could give you a tour of the Alida.”

Mercer hesitated. “Actually, we should probably wait until my crew is here before we do any tours. Wouldn’t want you to have to keep repeating yourself for us.” It sounded weak, even to him. Even Grayson raised an eyebrow at him before leaving with Stallor.

“As you wish.” Kallen glanced at Rezla, who gave her a smile and small shake of his head. She stood and addressed the table. “Captain Mercer, please enjoy the company. I’ll be in the ready as I’m sure I have some communiques I’ll need to address. When you’ve finished, Dr. Rezla will escort you there.” She nodded to her crew, then to Mercer, and exited the room.

Rezla watched her leave, then turned his attention to Captain Mercer. “It’s not beer and pizza, but I hope you’re enjoying our repast.”

Mercer gave him a half-hearted grin. “It’s great, thanks.”

“Your ship is impressive, Captain.” Rezla sat back in his chair. “And your crew is exemplary.”

“Thanks,” Mercer replied. He’d given up on eating and turned his attention to his drink.

“Have you all been serving together long?”

“On the Orville? No, but many of us knew each other from other ships and outside of service.”

“Interesting.” Rezla sipped his drink. “Teiris was a nurse under my supervision before she took command. She brought me to the Alida.”

“She said she was a nurse before. How long has she commanded this ship?”

“About five of your years. Medical personnel are rarely given command, but she requested it. Trained for a painfully long amount of time before finally qualifying for her own ship.” He smiled then, “And of course, it was mine.”

“The Alida,” Mercer offered.

“No, a medical ship, the Cary. She cut her teeth on that one, then assigned to Alida after its refit.”

“Was this always a research ship?” Mercer asked.

“Yes.” Rezla smiled. “Why does this surprise you?”

Mercer sat back. “This is larger than our flagship. We have heavy cruisers smaller than this.”

“And your heavy cruisers, what do you use them for?” Rezla asked.

“They’re for troop transports, for defense.”

“The Alida is deep space research vessel. We are away from our home for long stretches of time, so it makes sense to have everything we anticipate needing on board. “

“Do you have families on the ship?”

“Not by your definition.” Rezla took another sip. “Those who chose to have families are encouraged to move to an on-planet position. That way, they create a more stable and nurturing environment for the young ones and for each other. Deep spacers like myself create a family from the people on board.”

“So if Lady Kallen chose to start a family, she’d lose her command?”

“Not precisely. She would be given the opportunity to take a more stable position. If she turned it down, she could keep her command, but her family would remain planetside.”

“Tough choice to make.” Mercer mused. “That’s why she said she had no family.”

“Not close.” He observed Mercer’s mostly untouched plate. “I suppose you’re finished with your meal.”

“I’m sorry,” Mercer said sheepishly, “I don’t usually eat so early in the morning.”

“As you wish,” Rezla replied smoothly. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the ready.”

He led Mercer down a corridor to a small door and rang the chime. “You may come in,” was the response.

They entered what was an office of sorts, with several chairs, a couch and a large desk. Kallen was seated, her attention turned to her console. “Thank you, Demi. That will be all for now.”

Rezla bowed slightly to Mercer and quietly left. Kallen’s attention was still on her console.

Mercer took a seat by her desk. The silence in the room was a bit unnerving. “The command table was fantastic, and the room? Gorgeous view. I could sit there for hours.”

“You’re more than welcome to, if you wish,” she answered. “It would allow you to avoid me for the time being.”

Mercer stammered. “Me, avoid you? Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know,” she asked, “But you’ve made it clear that I make you uncomfortable. I was just trying to make you feel safe.”

“Listen, Teiris, let me explain,” he started, “It’s not that I’m not flattered, because I am, but I’m just coming out of a really weird relationship…”

“And what does this have to do with me?” she asked, genuinely confused.

“Well,” Mercer hesitated, “I thought… I mean you seemed like you wanted…” the words died in the back of his throat when she turned and gave him her attention. “I thought you liked me,” he said weakly. His face was hot with embarrassment. 

“Of course I like you. You care about your ship and crew, have a good sense of humor, you seem intelligent…”

“Yeah, thanks, but that’s not what I meant.”

“Well, what did you mean?” she asked. 

Mercer stood up and turned away, hoping to hide his embarrassment. “It’s not important.”

“Did I offend you in any way?” Kallen was genuinely concerned.

“No, no, not at all!” Mercer protested. “We… this is just a big misunderstanding on my part.” Mercer stood up and started pacing the room. “I’m sorry, I jumped to the wrong conclusion and…” He turned and stood by the desk. “Can we start over? Please?”

“What do you mean, start over?”

“I made a real ass of myself, and I want a chance to make it right.” He held his hand out for a handshake. “I’m Ed Mercer, Captain of the Planetary Union ship Orville. Thank you for saving our ship.”

Kallen cocked an eyebrow but took his hand. “I’m Lady Teiris Kallen of the Bialan Research ship Alida. You are very welcome.” 

He shook her hand firmly. “I don’t know why I acted the way I did, but I want you to know I’m really sorry for assuming… I’m really sorry.”

“I don’t understand what happened, but if you wish a new start between us, I accept your apology.” She smiled at him and gestured to the chair across from her. “We’ve started the transports from the Orville to the Alida. It should take about an hour or so. Once everyone is aboard, we’ll attached the tethers and be on our way.”

“You said the trip will take five hours…” Mercer asked.

“Plus or minus a few minutes.” She turned the monitor around and showed him the towing array schematic. “This should assure very minimal damage, if any, to your ship for the trip.”

“Thank you, I don’t know what we’d have done without your help.” He relaxed, feeling the friendliness back between them.

“Once we arrive at Sydoc Bay, we will be meeting with First Prefect Fulmer and the port master, Lord Walfe. I believe there will be a small reception before the night chimes, but nothing too formal.” She smiled at him. “Then Lord Stallor, Dr. Rezla, and I will take your crew planetside.”

“What should we expect when we arrive? You made it sound very mysterious.” 

“I’ll go into more detail in the formal briefing. However, I recommend no more than 5 or 6 people for the first night there. Once you’re familiar with our customs, you can decide how many of your people can visit as well as the length of their stays.” She turned the monitor back to her and began tapping at her keyboard. “You’ll need to make sure your people are properly dressed, but we’ll advise you on what would be appropriate.” She stood up and gestured to the door. “Now, let me show you our bridge, then we can head down to the bays, where you can check on your people.”


	5. Chapter 5

A few hours later, Kallen, Rezla, and Stallor sat with the selected landing party. It consisted of Mercer, Grayson, Finn, LaMarr, Keyali and Lt. Malloy.

“The reception with the Prefect and the Portmaster won’t be anything too ostentatious. I think we’ll be saving that for when he meets with the Olympia. So for that part, it shouldn’t be an issue.” Kallen began. “Once it’s finished, we’ll return to quarters to change before heading planetside.” She nodded to Stallor, who continued the briefing.

“In our culture, our days are split into specific time periods. Light hours, Night, and the chime hours, which separate the two. The chime hours serve as a buffer between the periods, a time to reset between periods. This is because what happens during the Light hours and the night are completely separate.” 

Taking a deep breath, he continued. “Light hours are when propriety is of the utmost importance. We use the light hours to teach, to explore, to study, to do most of the more...” he searched for the proper word. 

“Boring?” Malloy offered. Mercer glared at him.

Stellor shrugged. “I suppose that could be accurate. I think the more correct term would be mundane.” He paused to gather his thoughts. “In any case, most ‘official’ meetings such as the one we’re having now, or the one we’ll have with your leaders would never be held during the night hours. It’s also why you’ll be meeting the Prefect before the night chimes. A meeting like that would never take place after the night chimes.”

“Why not?” Finn asked.

“Because it wouldn’t be appropriate,” Kallen began, “it’s just not done that way. Night is when our people become more uninhibited. Our rule of ‘No harm be done’ is the only true rule for the night hours.”

“Uninhibited,” Grayson asked. “What do you mean?”

Rezla took up the briefing. “Bialans are a very open people. We understand a body has certain urges, cravings that need to be satisfied in order to function at optimum capacity. Eating, sleeping, exercising, sexual release, all of these things are required in one form or another for both physical and mental health. So we use the night hours to satisfy certain urges.”

“So during the night hours, your people look for sexual release?” Finn asked. “What makes it different from us?”

The Bialans looked at each other for a few moments. Finally, Kallen said, “We’ve notice your people, like most of the cultures we’ve come across, as a whole, are more private when it comes to sexuality. Bialans are not. We learn from a young age what sexuality is, how we are affected by it, and how to express it in safe, consensual, and healthy ways. And we confine these ways to the Night.”

“Your people only have sex at night?” Mercer asked.

“No,” Rezla responded. “During Night, our people are more uninhibited when it comes to expressing sexual interest and desire.”

“Basically,” Stallor added, “as long as the parties involved are in agreement, and the act is consensual, there are no rules.”

“No rules,” Finn repeated, slightly uncomfortable. “So if you want an animal or a child-“

“A child cannot give consent,” Rezla stated firmly. “Nor can an animal.”

Finn seemed placated by the answer. “Great. But if I understand correctly, at night time, if I wanted to go around naked propositioning strangers, it would be acceptable.”

“Yes,” Rezla responded. 

Malloy started waving his hands. “Wait a minute. At Night, I can go up to anyone I want, ask if they want to have sex with me, and if they say yes, we can go at it right there, in public, and that’s ok with you guys?”

The Bialans all nodded. “As long as the union was consensual, and no one was maliciously injured, it would be fine.”

“Maliciously injured, what does that mean?” Mercer challenged.

They looked at Kallen again. She began, “Some find pleasure in the giving and receiving of pain. As long as those involved are in clear agreement, there is no issue. Which brings us to your clothing.” She paused. 

“What’s wrong with our clothing?” Mercer asked.

Kallen smiled sheepishly. “Nothing as long as you’re on the ship or in the shipyard. On planet however, we strongly suggest your group wear only black. Dr. Finn, you may wish to cover the green in your hair as well.”

“Why black?” Finn asked.

“Because at Night, wearing a certain color invites specific attention. Black means you are an observer; that you don’t wish to be approached for an encounter. It doesn’t stop you from approaching someone, only keeps them from approaching you, which is why we recommend it to anyone not familiar with our customs.” She continued, “White is for first time experiences. Silver is for those who wish to have more than just a physical relationship.”

Stallor continued, “Blue means you wish to have a...” again he searched for the correct word. “You wish to have an encounter that isn’t… exotic?” He looked to Rezla for assistance.

Malloy offered, “Vanilla?” Grayson shot him a glare.

“What do you mean, vanilla?” Stallor asked.

“You know, boring, plain, ordinary. Vanilla,” Malloy explained.

The Bialans looked at each other and then nodded. “I suppose that will suffice. It means nothing too out of the norm,” Rezla added. Malloy seemed very pleased with himself.

Kallen continued, “Green indicates a desire for something more adventurous, multiple partners, unusual scenarios, that type of thing. Those who seek pain with their pleasure would wear green with red.” She paused again, then added, “And if you desired male partners only, you would wear an orange accessory, or a purple accessory for female.”

“And not wearing either would say you’re open to both,” Grayson stated.”

“Exactly,” Kallen responded. “We try to explain our culture very clearly, so as to avoid confusion once we’re planetside. Unfortunately, there have been misunderstandings and miscommunications that have made some visitors wary of us and our people. If you choose to go planetside, we want you to be as educated as possible, so please, if you have any questions or reservations, speak them now.”

Mercer glanced at his crew. “If you don’t mind, I think my crew and I need to speak freely with each other.”

Kallen nodded and gestured to Rezla and Stallor. “We’ll leave you then. Please contact me if you have concerns or questions we can answer. I’ll contact you when we’re near Sydoc Bay.” With that, the Bialans exited the room.

Mercer waited a beat, then turned to his crew. “Well?”

Malloy was the first to speak. “I’m in.”

Grayson rolled her eyes, “Yeah, we figured.” She turned to Mercer. “Can’t say I’m not curious though. I’m in.”

“I’m a bit wary about walking into an orgy, but…” Finn shrugged. “I’m in.”

“Me too,” said Keyali. 

Lamarr shook his head. “If they’re gonna start working on the ship once we get there, I need to be here. I’m out for the first night. If things are going great, I’ll go after.”

“Cool,” said Mercer, nodding. “I guess I have to look for a little black dress.”


	6. Chapter 6

The meeting with the prefect was uneventful, as was the reception afterward. Most of the attendees seemed determined to leave before the chime hours. Mercer couldn’t blame them. 

Once back on the Alida, they all changed into their evening clothing. Malloy was the only one not in black, opting for a dark green suit with a purple dress shirt. Mercer wore a black evening coat with a high collared shirt. Grayson wore a long black gown that stopped just short of the floor. Her matching shawl shimmered in the artificial light, and Mercer’s throat went dry at the sight of her. Keyali wore a fitted black pantsuit and blazer. Dr. Finn completed their landing party in a short black dress and carried a small black bag. 

“Green, Gordon? Are you serious?” Mercer asked incredulously.

“Yeah,” Malloy answered. “Dude, they can’t hurt me unless I say so, so I’m down for anything”

“But you don’t know what ‘anything’ is,” Mercer protested.

“Hey, I’m pretty open to everything, so I’m pretty sure I can handle ‘anything.’”

Mercer turned to Grayson. “Kel, back me up.”

Grayson rolled her eyes. “Gordon, at least test the water before jumping in.”

Malloy smiled at her. “Command said they wanted a complete and detailed debrief from everyone. How complete can we be if we don’t jump in?”

“Lt. Malloy,” Keyali started.

“I’m just sayin’,” he cut her off. “They can’t do anything if I say no. But I can say yes to anything I want. Command wants as complete a report as possible, so I’m willing to take one for the team.” 

He swaggered ahead of the group towards the landing bay. Dr. Finn just shook her head and murmured, “I have a med pack with me, just in case.”

Stallor was waiting for them with Dr. Rezla, each also in black. Grayson smiled at the sight of him, her eyes wide with approval. “Lady Teiris had to go ahead to speak with the portmaster. She’ll meet us when we land.” Dr. Rezla offered his arm to Dr. Finn and escorted her to the shuttle. The others followed, and soon were on their way.

Upon landing, Stallor led the group to a small alcove. “There is very little formality during the night hours, so from here until we return to the ship, you should call me by my given name, Brinn, and Dr. Rezla as Dr. Demi. It will help you be not so obvious.” He turned to Mercer. “Your doctor will be addressed as Dr. Claire. All others should be addressed informally. Captain, do you wish to be addressed as Captain Ed?”

Grayson snickered. Ed shook his head, “No, Ed is fine.”

“Ed then.” He turned and led them towards the port gates. “Teiris said she’d meet us at the entrance. From there, we’ll head to dinner, then you are free to explore.”

They approached the gates and saw two figures standing together. One Mercer recognized as the portmaster, who was garbed in green. The other, Lady Kallen, looked as if she was cloaked in black water, her dress clinging in some spots, flowing in the light breeze in others. Her hair was done in an intricate manner piled high on her head. When she turned and smiled, both Mercer and Malloy felt their breath taken from them.

“Brinn, right on time.” She went to him and kissed his cheek lightly. She turned to Rezla and kissed his cheek. “No last minute issues?”

“None,” he answered, turning her to face the others. 

She approached each one and greeted them with a kiss on the cheek. “Please tell one of us immediately if you wish to return to the ship. The last thing we want to do is make you feel uncomfortable in any way. We know our ways are very different to you, but we hope you come to appreciate them the way we do.”

Mercer looked back at his crew. “I promise we’ll be on our best behavior. We’re looking forward to experiencing more of your culture.”

Stallor offered his arm to Grayson, just as Kallen took Mercer’s. “We’ll be dining at one of our favorite restaurants first.” She nodded to Walfe. “Afterward, Erol has offered to escort any of you around the more exotic places around the city.” She glanced at Malloy. “You’ll be in good hands, Gordon.”

“Thank you, Teiris. I’m looking forward to it,” Malloy answered eagerly.

They entered a street shuttle that took them into the city. Once there, they were treated to a multitude of dishes, none of which they could identify, but all of which they enjoyed. There was more small talk, but mostly, the crew observed the people around them.

The atmosphere was a bit subdued, but there was an air of sensuality all around. Couples in matching colors sat in alcoves, some feeding each other, others teasing each other with looks, touches, soft words. Occasionally, a couple would head to a door in the back of the establishment that led to rooms where they could complete their coupling. Often, a woman would brush up against Malloy or Walfe and give him a knowing smile. These people were very open about their needs, but unlike what the offworlders pictured, it wasn’t a parade of carnal deviance. At least not yet.

Kallen explained, “It’s still a bit early in the night, but in the center of the city, things are much more discrete. Towards the outskirts, it gets more overt.”

Once they finished their meal, Malloy and Walfe left the group and headed towards what Walfe said was his favorite club. The others began touring the city. They visited an outdoor dance party first. Here, the people were more uninhibited. Bodies rubbed against each other to the beat of the music.

After a while, they ventured to another gathering, this one with a larger, more provocative crowd. They watched as men and women, always in green, would allow themselves to be undressed, all while others would touch them, feel them intimately. It was erotic, and unsettling at the same time.

Stallor brought drinks to the table and noticed Grayson’s discomfort. “Kelly, do you need a bit of air?”

Grayson gave him a look of pure relief. “Yes, please.” She took his arm and let him lead her away. 

Mercer called out, “I’ll see you back on board.” 

They had another round of drinks as the dancers became more intimate with each other. Mercer turned to Finn, who looked fascinated by the dance. “Are you ok, Doc?”

She snapped out of her daze. “I’m fine… Is it always like this?”

Rezla nodded. “This is actually rather tame compared to when I used to wear green.” They looked at him with wonder and interest.

“Used to,” Dr. Finn asked. “What would you normally wear now, if you weren’t escorting us?”

“If I choose to go out, it’s either black or silver.” He smiled then. “Black if I want to watch, silver if I want to left alone.” They all laughed at that. He stood. “And with that, I think I’ll head back to the Alida.”

Dr. Finn stood as well. “I think I’ll join you. I really should get back to my boys.” She took Rezla’s offered arm and they left.

“Perhaps you would prefer somewhere a bit quieter,” Kallen suggested. Mercer and Keyali agreed and they headed to a small café. 

Mercer sat back in his chair. “I have to say, I understand why you are cautious about bringing offworlders here. I can’t imagine Admiral Halsey here, let alone command.”

Kallen nodded. “Whenever we negotiate treaties, it’s either onboard our ships, or on planet after the morning chimes. Then we are quick to get the dignitaries off world well before the night chimes. Wouldn’t want to scare anyone just as we’ve negotiated a peace.” Mercer’s communicator interrupted their talk.

“Walfe to Captain Mercer.”

“Mercer here.”

“I could use a little help with your man.”

“What do you mean, a little help?” Mercer responded.

“Please come to my location and you’ll understand. Third house on Renly.”

“We’re on our way, Mercer out.” He quickly finished his drink while Kallen asked the server for directions. Keyali secured the weapon from her boot to her waist. 

“Take one for the team he says…” Mercer mumbled as they left the café.

Walfe was waiting for them outside. He had an unconscious, semi-dressed Malloy slung over his shoulder. “He tried,” Walfe chuckled, “I’ll give him that. The boy tried.” He put him down, letting Mercer take Malloy’s arm over his shoulder.

Kallen asked, “What happened?”

“Linaeans.” Walfe said with a smile.

“Ah.” Kallen smiled and held back a chuckle. “They’re very talented, and exuberant, but when aroused, give off a pheromone that can effect one like a tranquilizer. I can give him something now to wake him, but it’s better if he lets it take its course. It shouldn’t be more than a few hours.”

Mercer shook his head. “We’ll take him to his quarters and let him sleep it off.” Keyali found transport and they shuffled Malloy back to base.

~~~8~~~

Mercer and Kallen settled Malloy into his quarters. Malloy fell into bed with boneless grace. Kallen patted Mercer’s shoulder. “He’ll be fine after morning chimes. Make sure he is hydrated and has something to eat. It will help.”

Mercer glanced up at her. “Thanks. I’ll make sure Dr. Finn checks up on him.” She turned to leave. “Teiris?” he called. She turned to him, questioning. “Are you hungry?”

“I could use a little something,” she answered.

“Did you want to grab a bite?”

She nodded. “Beer and pizza again?”

“Actually I had something else in mind.”

They ended up in his quarters, sharing a plate of French fries covered in grilled beef, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes and onions, avocado, and sour cream. She looked at the dish, confused. “What do you call this again?”

“Carne Asada Fries. I noticed it was one of the dishes you had added to your replicator.” He took few fries, covered with toppings and popped them into his mouth. “Try it, they’re great.”

She looked skeptical, but reached for a bite. Closing her eyes, she savored the crispy potatoes, perfectly grilled beef and other complimentary flavors. “That’s delicious.” She took a fork and started working her side of the plate. “I can tell one of the better things that will come from an alliance is the influx of delicious meals.”

Mercer finished another bite. “It’s the least we can do.” He took a sip of his beer. “I’m just glad you like it.”

“It is one of the best things I’ve tried in my travels,” she said, drinking the Bialan fizzy drink they all seemed to enjoy. “And you know the best part?”

“No,” he said, curiously. 

“It’s not trying to run from the plate,” she said, stifling another laugh.

“You’re kidding.”

“Titali Sept,” she said, loading her fork again. “They’re a mostly aquatic people, so our first contact celebration was held at their waterside palace in the semi-submerged banquet room. We were seated about chest high in water and the first dish that arrived were live molians, a type of aquatic creature. The servers set the plates down, the water washed up over the table, and our meal tried to swim away.”

“How were you supposed to eat them?” Mercer asked, a smile starting to curl on his lips.

“By dunking your head in the water and sucking in the fish.” She laughed and took a sip of her drink. “I was quite hungry when we returned to the ship.” She chuckled at the memory

Mercer laughed with her. “My first contact meals weren’t that odd, but we’ve had some strange ones.” He began to tell about Rigor 2. They spent the next few hours trading stories over fries, stopping only for the chime hours. Kallen gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving. Mercer watched her go and then fell into bed.


	7. Chapter 7

At Command Table later that morning, Mercer was on his third cup of coffee. Malloy was present, trying to stay upright and focused, but failing miserably. Keyali and LaMarr watched as Malloy slid out of his chair for the third time. 

Grayson and Finn seemed more energized and in great spirits at the briefing. Mercer stifled a yawn. “Well, folks? Talk to me.”

Grayson straightened in her chair. “It was really interesting. I think as long as our people are thoroughly briefed, there shouldn’t be a problem with escorted visits to the surface at Night.”

Finn agreed. “As long as they exercise caution and discretion, it shouldn’t be an issue.” Glancing at Malloy, “We should definitely discourage anyone from wearing green to the surface.”

“How you holding up, Gordon?” Grayson asked.

“That was amazing,” he mumbled, holding on to the table. “I can’t wait to go back tonight.”

“I had to carry you back to the ship because your partner knocked you out with pheromones!” Mercer protested. 

“But what I remember was soooo hot…” he said, sliding to the floor.

“Walfe had to make sure you had pants!”

“To be fair, I lost my pants before I was knocked out.” Malloy replied, not bothering to get up.

“If we’re done talking about Gordon’s failed booty call,” LaMarr interrupted, “I have news about the ship.” The whole table turned their attention to LaMarr. “These folks are awesome. The coils have been completely repaired, and we’ve even made a few serious improvements. We should be completely done and ready for testing this afternoon.” 

“You’re kidding.” Mercer was incredulous. “I saw the damage to the ship.”

LaMarr pointed to the window. “See for yourself.” Mercer’s jaw dropped open. Grayson gasped.

The Orville slowly floated into view. The coils were complete and intact. There was no carbon scoring on the hull anywhere. If they hadn’t been through it personally, they’d have never known there was any damage. 

“Wow…” Grayson finally whispered. Then to La Marr, “They did that all yesterday?”

“We finished last night,” LaMarr explained. “I bet Master Tsu they couldn’t get it done.” 

“What did you bet?” Malloy asked, still on the floor.

“Dinner tonight. I’ve never been so happy to lose.” LaMarr smiled. “We can get underway right after flight testing.”

Mercer nodded, getting his bearings. “Alright! Let the crew know we’ll do flight tests, and head back to Union space after tomorrow morning chimes! How long will it take to get back?”

LaMarr explained, “That’s the thing. If we want to get back fast, the Alida needs to tow us again. Even with the improvements to our engines, at top speed, it will take about a month to get back where we were.”

“A month? They towed us here in five hours!”

“Yeah, about that.” LaMarr shook his head. “Their ships travel by creating artificial wormholes to travel through. This base is one of their deep space outposts.”

“Wait,” Grayson said, “Lady Kallen said this base was just outside their planetary system.”

“Right,” LaMarr responded, “about five hundred light years outside the planetary system. Their tech is way beyond anything I’ve ever seen. The good part is that they’re willing to share with us to the extent we can comprehend it.”

“What does that mean?” Mercer asked. He tapped the comm panel. “Mercer to Lady Kallen.”

“Kallen, here.”

“Are you free to join us at Command Table? We have some questions regarding the refit.”

“On my way.”

Mercer addressed his officers. “Commander Grayson, Lieutenant LaMarr, you stay. The rest of you, get the crew ready for flight testing as soon as we’re cleared.” Finn, Malloy, and Keyali quickly left the room. “What the hell does that mean, ‘to the extent we can comprehend?’ They think they’re better than us?” He couldn’t help thinking of the Calivon.

LaMarr replied, “I don’t think so, sir. They’re just so technologically ahead of us…” Kellen and Tsu chose that moment to arrive. 

“Good day to you,” Kallen started, “You had questions.”

Grayson cut off Mercer before he could speak. “Chief LaMarr told us the ship is ready for flight testing. That’s fantastic.”

“Lord Walfe and Master Tsu deserve the credit for that.” Kallen smiled, taking one of the now empty chairs. Tsu sat next to her, grinning at LaMarr. He gave her a small grin in return.

“He also told us,” Grayson continued, “you’ve made significant improvements to our design…”

“That’s correct,” Tsu responded. “The schematics are in your computer to pass along to your Union engineers. They should be able to make the improvements to your fleet with little trouble.”

Mercer interrupted. “But we’ll still need you to tow us back to our last location. Why is that?”

Kellen responded, “Our ships are significantly faster than yours. You can fly back on your own, but it will take longer that it would if we towed you back.”

“And why is that,” Mercer asked. He tried to keep the anger out of his tone.

“Because our ships are faster, our technology…”

“Technology you said you’d be happy to share as long as we can understand it?” he drawled. “No, it was ‘to the extent that we can comprehend.’”

“Ah,” Kallen sighed. “I understand now.”

“We aren’t stupid,” Mercer challenged.

“We never inferred that you were,” Kallen responded. 

Grayson put a hand on Mercer’s shoulder, trying to defuse the situation. “What he means is command will want to know why you’re holding back technology you first said you’d freely share.”

Kallen took a deep breath, then exhaled hard. “How long has your Union used Quantum drives for propulsion?”

“A couple hundred years.”

“Was it the only engine you used?”

“No, we started with explosive propulsion and internal combustion.”

“And you learned what you needed from each type of engine.” Kallen stood then. “Each planet learns in its own way, at the right times, and of course makes mistakes along the way. Some of these mistakes are needed in order for a people to grow. We can’t deny you the opportunity to make the mistakes we made in order to let you grow as a people. You currently use plasma based weaponry. Would you give these weapons to a people who still use rocks and knives?”

“Of course not.”

“Technology that is not earned has no value. If we gave you technology that put you centuries into the future, you may not make the technological leaps your people need to make to grow. Hundreds of inventions would be undiscovered if you suddenly didn’t have to improve your quantum drives.” 

Mercer and Grayson sat silently. She wasn’t wrong.

“You wouldn’t give a knife-user a plasma weapon. But you would show them a better way to sharpen the edge, or a more effective way to make the blade.”

“So you’re giving us improvements to what we have…” Mercer started.

“And showing you other ways to build them.” Kallen finished. ‘We’re not being disrespectful, only letting your people develop what you already have, with a bit of help from us.”

They sat in awkward silence for a few moments. 

“When were you planning on your flight tests?” Kallen asked, changing the subject.

“As soon as we get clearance from your port master,” Grayson responded.

“I’ll contact him to get that expedited for you, if you like,” Kallen offered.

“That would be great, thanks,” Mercer said weakly. Kallen raised an eyebrow in question, but said nothing. She nodded to the Orville officers, and she and Master Tsu left them to their thoughts.

~~~~~8~~~~~


	8. Chapter 8

Flight testing went off without a hitch. The engines were more effective after the upgrades, and they were able to exceed previous speed specifications with no strain on the ship. Malloy was extremely pleased and did several barrel rolls in approval.

That evening, with extensive briefings to the offworlders, the crew started rotating out for shore leave. Mercer and Grayson headed the first party, Bortus choosing to remain onboard. Kallen and Stallor accompanied them. Walfe escorted the green-garbed crewmembers again, this time with a few of his own people from the shipyards. The first call came from him about an hour into the night.

“Walfe to Mercer.”

“Mercer here.”

“I’ll need your help again.”

Kallen asked, “What was it this time, Erol? His medic will need to know.”

“Felicians.”

Kallen and Stallor both lowered their heads to their palms, Kallen shaking her head in sympathy, Stallor in amusement. Kallen contacted her medical bay while Stallor explained, “Felicians can secrete a paralytic in their saliva.”

Mercer stood. “Sorry to cut this short…”

Stallor stood as well. “I’ll go with you, Ed. The ladies can enjoy the rest of the evening.” They left Grayson with Kallen and headed off.  
~~~~~8~~~~~  
Malloy needed a few doses of anti-paralytic, as well as some muscle relaxants to recover from his evening. Dr. Finn kept him in sick bay for observation. Mercer headed back to his quarters. Unable to sleep, he started reviewing his briefing notes for Admiral Ozawa.

A few hours later, his door chime rang. 

“I apologize for disturbing you,” Kallen started. “I just wanted to let you know the bulk of your people are back aboard. Walfe and Tsu said they’ll make sure few left will be back safely.”

“Thank you, Teiris,” Mercer responded. He gestured to the couch and went to the replicator. “What was the prevailing sentiment of the folks that visited?”

“Overall, I believed they enjoyed themselves,” she replied, accepting the hot chocolate he handed her. “The few words I understood from your crew were ‘bangin,’ bitchin,’ and several expletives that I’m sure were meant in a complimentary way.”

“Any other rescues needed?” Mercer asked, sitting across from her on the couch.

“None that required medical attention. We were lucky there were no Calmaloids or Abasians here.”

Mercer chuckled. “What would be the problem with them?”

Kallen sipped her drink. “Calmaloids have a spike that engages when they’re sexually aroused.”

“A spike?” Mercer repeated, “That would be dangerous for the male’s partner...”

Kallen laughed. “Ed, the female have the spike. It engages to hold the male sexual organ in place until completion.”  


“You mean…” he breathed, slowly crossing his legs. 

Kallen nodded with a smile. “Abasians have tentacles around their midsection. To keep their mates from escaping when engaging in coitus.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Mercer mused.

“The tentacles secrete a type of adhesive. They complete coitus by chewing off their tentacles.”

“Oh god…”

“It’s a mess. Took me a week to get all the blood and tentacles off of me,” Kallen added dryly.

Mercer looked at her, “You’re kidding.”

“Back when I wore green, I experimented a great deal.” She set her cup down. “How do you think I learned so many languages?” she asked, slowly leaning towards him. 

He looked at eyes, her lips. Her dress opened slightly, giving him a provocative view. 

“How…” he said softly, taking in the scent of her perfume.

She leaned in more. “I would say, ‘May I…” He knew it was for more than just language. 

“Please…” He leaned closer, their lips barely brushing.

“Bortus to Mercer.” The moment was over. Mercer fell back on the cushions. “Mercer here.”

“Admiral Ozawa on subspace.”

“Stand by.” He looked at Kallen with disappointment. “I’m sorry, I…”

She stood with liquid grace. She nodded, “I’ll see you in the morning.”


	9. Chapter 9

The jump, or dive as the Bialans termed it, took twenty hours. Mercer and Grayson were on the bridge for the initiation of the dive and were speechless at the beauty. “It never gets old,” Kallen said. 

“Once we surface, there will still be several hours before the Olympia and our diplomatic ship, the Harlan, arrive.” Kallen explained. However, it is tradition to host a celebration for new friends when they know they have to part. We were hoping to host your people for a get together.”

“Actually,” Mercer said, “on behalf of the Orville, Commander Grayson and I would like to host your people on our ship for a going away party. Now that everything is up and running, we want to extend the same warmth and welcome you showed us on the Alida.”

Kellen was genuinely surprised. “Of course… on behalf of my crew, we accept your invitation! If it’s anything like the beer and pizza night, we should all have a great time together. And,” she added, “you still owe me a proper tour of your ship.”

“Once we’re on station,” Mercer agreed.

~~~~~8~~~~~

The mess hall was done up with streamers and balloons. Music from all ages drifted through the hall. All kinds of different food from different regions of space filled tables. In one corner, games and movies were being enjoyed. Karaoke was loud and boisterous from the other end of the hall. Lord Stallor arrived with the first wave of Bialans.

“Thank you, Captain, Commander, for your warm invitation.”

Ed shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder. “You guys are totally welcome. And please, tonight, it’s just Ed.”

“Very well, Ed.” He noticed Mercer scanning the group. “Lady Teiris will be joining us later. She stayed behind to let a few more people come over and enjoy.”

Grayson took Stallor’s arm and led him towards the food. “Brinn, you need to try one of my favorites. Sushi…”

Mercer circulated through the party, then headed to the ready room. Everything for the first contact meetings was set. He knew the Bialans were planning on joining the Union, but anything could change before now and then. Soon he was immersed in the preparations when the comm sounded.

"Captain, Lady Kallen's shuttle is approaching."

"On my way."

Mercer arrived at the landing bay just as the shuttle landed. Kallen disembarked with a few more of her crew and greeted Mercer. "Sorry we're late."

"On the contrary, you're right on time." He motioned for her to follow him to the mess hall were the festivities were in full swing. 

She greeted the Orville crew, touched base with her own crew members and headed to the buffet. Mercer headed to the dais and called for everyone's attention. 

"A week ago, if you'd told me our getting blown to pieces would have led to first contact, I'd never believed you. But here we are, not only recovered from damage that should have destroyed us, but we're here with people I'm happy to call our friends. So a toast to Lady Kallen, Lord Stallor, Master Tsu, and the rest of the people of the Alida." Glasses clinked, hearty toasts, handshakes, hugs, and a few kisses were exchanged. Mercer continued, "Under paragraph 14 section 17 of the Union code, it is my great pleasure to recognize the following officers of the Bialan ship Alida. Master Qadi Tsu, Doctor Demi Rezla, and Lady Teiris Kallen, for going above and beyond the call of duty in service to the ship Orville, its crew, and the Planetary Union, on their behalf, it is my great honor to bestow upon you the Silver Shield for your assistance in saving the Orville and its crew. Would you please join me here and receive your award."

The three Bialans were genuinely surprised and touched as they accepted the medallions. Mercer smiled widely at the trio as he placed the medals around their necks. Then he continued, "In addition, the Alida will be listed in the Union registry with the Honor Title 'First to Service' to recognize the importance of the Alida and its crew to the Planetary Union." He motioned Lord Stallor to the front and handed him a bright red flag streamer with silver embroidery. The crew all applauded loudly with whistles and shouts from all over.

Commander Grayson joined Captain Mercer on the dais. "On behalf of the Orville, we would like to gift you with the following unofficial honors to show our appreciation. From our engineering crew, we award Master Tsu the Silver Spanner with duct tape streamers for going above and beyond the call to keep our ship in one piece." She handed Tsu a silver-plated wrench decorated with glitter and sparkling stones, affixed to a wooden plaque with silver duct tape. The inscription read, ‘For keeping us from blowing up.' Tsu laughed and hugged the trophy.

Grayson continued. "Dr. Rezla, for assistance with our injured, both from the explosion and from our Night exploits, we award you the Golden Stethoscope." Dr. Finn handed Dr. Rezla a plaque with a gold-plated stethoscope inscribed with ‘For fixing our owwies.'

Grayson looked at Kallen. "And finally, to Lady Kallen, we award the Life Preserver of Peace, for coming to our rescue." Around Kallen’s neck, she draped an old-fashioned life preserver festooned with ribbons, flowers, and a caricature of Captain Mercer as a traditional 'damsel in distress,' complete with princess dress and pointy hat. The multi-colored ribbons read 'Save Me.' Applause and laughter filled the hall. 

Kallen reverently handed the preserver to Rezla, then took two small flat cases from Stallor. “When one of our ships is first deployed, or base is completed, a coin is struck commemorating the event. These coins are given to all crewmembers and to any visiting dignitaries we wish to honor.” She nodded to Stallor, who nodded to their crew. The men and women began to hand out small square cases to the crew and family of the Orville. “We present you with these coins to remember us by.” 

She scanned the crowd. “Lt. Malloy, would you join me for a moment.” Malloy trotted up to the dais. “On behalf of Master Erol Walfe, I present you with the coin from Sydoc Bay, and a message: let him know next time you’re in the area, he has a few more places he’s sure you’d like to see.” Everyone began to laugh and applaud, as Malloy pinkened in the cheeks a bit. 

“And finally, Captain Ed Mercer and Commander Kelly Grayson, whenever one of us is given command, a coin is struck to remind the new commander of the importance of the posting. These are only given by commanders, and as such are very rare to receive. I would like to present you both with my coin from the Alida.” She handed the cases to Grayson and Mercer. He opened it and saw three coins: one black with silver markings from the Alida, one orange hued square from Sydoc Bay, and one triangular shape with a signet surrounded by gold lettering. The crew applauded for several moments. When the noise started to die down, Kallen started, “And finally…” she nodded to Lord Stallor.

“UUUSHAAA!” Stallor started to stomp one foot in a slow rhythm. The Orville crew stood motionless as the crew of the Alida began to stomp in rhythm with Stallor. He started chanting in a language that was definitely not Union Basic: it had a more hypnotizing flow to it, pausing every so often for the crew to chant loudly “Matsamsthah!” The chant grew louder as the rhythm became faster, the words with more force and drive. Stallor began repeating the phrase “Matsamsthah!’ and pointing to members of the Orville crew to repeat after him. Finally he came to the dais and challenged Mercer. Mercer, caught up in the energy, shouted in repetition. Stallor smiled fiercely, then knelt in front of Kallen, arms outstretched, a small knife in his hand. He spoke the words to Kallen, offering her the knife. She pressed her blade to her palm, and slowly pulled away. She showed her now bloody palm to Stallor, to Mercer, then to the rest of the crowd and softly said, “Varu Nasava, Matsamsthah. Si fia bah.”

Her words rang in the silence that fell as the first drop of blood rolled down her arm. Then Stallor stood and smiled. “Drinks!” he shouted as the rest of the Alida crew cheered loudly and began to pass bottles around to the still stunned Orville crew. Dr. Rezla quietly came to the dais with a white bandage, which he used to carefully clean the blood from Kallen’s palm. He then took the medical wand from his pack and quickly healed the wound. He handed the cloth to Stallor, who folded it reverently and tucked it into a small blue pouch. He touched the pouch to his heart, and then his head, before tucking it into a pocket inside his jacket.

Kallen, Mercer, Rezla, Grayson, and Stallor found seats at a nearby table. “What was that?” Grayson asked breathlessly.

“Before our people migrated to the stars,” Rezla started, “we went by water to explore our world. The stars were our guides and guardians. And though we may not follow all the old ways, we all understand the importance of them. This ceremony implored the stars to bind our people together until the stars themselves end.”

Stallor took up the story. “I called on the stars to recognize the bond we’ve created with your people, to bless it with their wisdom and make it unbreakable. When you repeated the words, you also asked for the wisdom of the stars to approve this bond on behalf of your people.”

Kallan finished. “As the commander, I spoke on behalf of the stars. With blood, I accepted your petition. We are now sister ships. We are one. If you need us, we will be there.”

“And the bandage?” Mercer asked.

“It is a symbol of our bond. Until the death of the stars or the destruction of the Alida, we are one,” Kallen explained. Stallor called one of his crewmembers over. They quickly brought an ornate bottle of liquid. “And this is how we all seal the bond.” She popped the top off and held the bottle out. Rezla and Stallor both held out their hands, nodding for Mercer and Grayson to do the same. Kallen poured the liquid directly into their hands, where it formed a perfect sphere. “This is Svapnam Anavaka, a traditional Bialan drink. You’ll rarely find it off planet, unless you’re on a Bialan ship or base. This particular bottle is from my family’s private stores.” She poured herself a sphere, then raised her hand in a toast. “Ada Miciti.” They all quickly took their drinks. 

Both Mercer and Grayson seemed surprised. “That. That is fantastic,” Grayson gushed.

Stallor smiled. “Mine is better, but alas, my stock is empty.”

Kallen shook her head. “He likes to fool himself, but we all know whose stock is best.” 

Rezla nodded. “Yes. Mine.” They all laughed.

Stallor said, “There are bottles for you both waiting in your quarters. We asked Lt. Keyali to place them in your offices just after we surfaced.”

“Which reminds me,” Grayson drawled. “I promised you a tour of the ship.” She touched Stallor’s arm. “Are you up to it now?”

Stallor stood and tucked her hand around his arm. “Of course.” He nodded to the table, the let Grayson escort him away. 

Rezla stood as well. “And I should get back to our ship.” He picked up his plaque and Kallen’s awards. “I’ll make sure these get back safely.”

“Thank you, Demi.”

They watched the doctor walk away, then gazed at the people around them, laughing and talking, enjoying the night.

Kallen turned to Mercer. “Could we go on the tour you promised? Or would you rather wait until the diplomats arrive. I’d hate for you to have to keep repeating yourself,” she teased.

Mercer hung his head sheepishly and chuckled. “Sorry for that.” He grabbed took his coin case from the table and tucked it into his pocket. “May I give you a tour of the Orville, Lady Teiris?” He offered her his arm with a slight bow.

She nodded, wrapping her hand around his bicep. “I would be delighted.”

They stopped by Mercer’s quarters to drop off the coin case when he was hailed by the bridge. 

“Bridge to Captain Mercer.” Mercer rolled his eyes in exasperation.

“Mercer here.”

“Admiral Ozawa on subspace.”

He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Teiris. I need to take this.”

She nodded. He ushered her into his living area of his quarters, then headed up to his attached office.

Twenty minutes later, he headed back downstairs, apologizing. “I’m sorry for that.” He found her seated on the couch by one of the large windows. She held a small cup of hot chocolate in her hand.

“I made myself comfortable. I hope you don’t mind.”

He went to the synthesizer and called up a cup for himself. “Command is very anxious about the meeting tomorrow. The admiral wanted to know exactly what would be involved with the official greeting. And also wanted to clarify some of the details from our Night debriefs.”

She stifled a laugh. “And were you able to clarify those details?”

“Not even close,” he answered with a laugh. He sat next to her. “You have to admit, some of the things we saw defy explanation.” 

“I’m sure Gordon would disagree with you on that,” she said, “but some of the things are better left unsaid.” She raised her cup to her lips. “What clarification did the admiral want about the official greeting?”

“She wanted to know what I meant when I mentioned how you learned our language. I tried to explain how your people can learn languages. She has her reservations.” 

She set her cup aside. “It shouldn’t be very hard to explain. Imagine we don’t have a common language, but we want to communicate. How would you convince me you and I will be able to communicate if we can exchange bodily fluid, either blood or through a kiss?” 

He set his cup aside. “I would probably start by showing I mean no harm, so blood is out of the question. I’d show you my hands were open and empty.” He held his hands up in front of him.

She held her hands out to mirror him. “Lau Mayana…” She nodded for him to continue.

“I would move slowly, touch my hands to yours,” he said, moving closer.

She moved closer to him, her hands lightly resting on his. “Atha kim…” she whispered. 

He moved even closer and gently brushed his lips on her. His hand gently touched he cheek, as she did when they first met. He felt her responding to the kiss, her hands slowly sliding up his chest, coming to rest on his shoulders. He moved away slightly. 

She whispered, “Sammati…” touching his lips again. “May I?”

He answered, “Yes. Please,” and kissed her again, the lesson and tour forgotten.

~~~~~8~~~~~

“Ed. Ed!” Grayson stood at Mercer’s bedside, attempting to wake him.

Grayson slowly swam up though his grogginess when he heard her voice. He jerked away suddenly, reaching to the other side of the bed. It was empty. He rolled over, pulling the sheets up to cover his state of undress.

“Rough night?” Grayson asked with a smile, taking a seat on the edge.

“Not really,” he answered. “But Ozawa got me on subspace when I was supposed to give Teiris a tour.”

“Lady Kallen left the Orville about four hours ago.”

“Four hours…” he struggled to a sitting position. “What time is it?”

“Oh-eight hundred hours.” Grayson headed downstairs to let Mercer compose himself. She went to the replicator and programmed a cup of hot coffee for him and one for herself, taking a seat at the small table nearby to wait.

About three minutes later, Mercer hurried down the stairs in uniform, but clearly not quite together. “Have we heard from the Olympia?’ he asked, taking a seat across from her.

“They’ll be here within the hour. The Harlan should be here any time.” Grayson looked at him. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, it’s just the whole first contact/joining the Union thing. Admiral Ozawa wants us to clarify some of the statements from our planetside debriefs.” He took a long swallow of coffee. “How about you? You and Brinn got a little cozy.”

She smiled. “Yeah, you could say that.” She sipped her coffee with a knowing smile. 

“Bridge to Captain Mercer.”

“Go ahead.”

“The Alida just signaled. They say the Harlan will be surfacing shortly.”

He looked at Grayson and nodded. “On our way.” 

~~~~~8~~~~~

Mercer and Grayson stood to the right of Admiral Ozawa and her executive officer. The stiff collar of his dress uniform chafed him, and he pulled at it for the third time.

The Bialan shuttles landed, the hatches opened. The first group entered the landing bay garbed in what looked like ceremonial garb: the men were shirtless in long blue coats with blue trousers, the ladies in blue coats and matching gowns. The shuttle from the Alida landed, bringing Lord Stallor, wearing the same blue garb, and Lady Kallen. She wore the same blue coat and a straight cut, floor length gown. Her long hair was braided in long ropes coiled atop her head. She also wore a small crystal circlet similar to the head diplomat. She smiled and winked at Mercer as the ceremony started.

Kallen made the introductions. “May I present High Minister Lellefar Ando.”

“Prati smoda yati bharata dezat Biala.” Minister Ando smiled as he held his hands open in front of him and stepped towards Admiral Ozawa. “Lab hah te?”

Admiral Ozawa glanced at Mercer, then stepped forward, hands outstretched. The minister gently kissed the admiral, then stepped back and smiled widely. “I bring you warm greetings from the people of Biala. Thank you for hosting us for such an auspicious occasion.” His party members stepped forward to the other delegates from the Olympia and Orville and were greeted as well.

At the reception in the hall of the Olympia, Mercer spotted Prefect Fulmer, but noticed none of the personnel from the Alida were present. 

“They were called away by one of their sister ships,” Fulmer explained. “They’ll most likely be getting ready for the dive, if they haven’t left already.”

Mercer looked out the windows of the hall, searching for the Alida. He saw the ship turning then slowly vanish, executing a dive.

Fulmer continued, “At least they were able to get time on planet at Sydoc Bay. The Yvaine is a good two-week dive.”

“Two weeks? How long would that be by our measure?” Grayson asked.

“For this ship? About seven months,” he answered. “But they’ll be taking over for the Yvaine, who is in the midst of a five year planetary system survey. They won’t be back home for another three years.”

“And what about the Yvaine?” Mercer asked.

“Their commander wishes to bond with his mate and start a family,” Fulmer said. “Until another commander is found, the Yvaine will be docked.”

“And the Alida, and it’s crew…”

“It’s the life they chose, Captain. You, of all, should understand.” Fulmer clapped his hand on Mercer’s shoulder, then moved away. 

Grayson and Mercer stared at the empty space were the Alida once was. They didn’t like it. But they did understand. 

Mercer raises his glass, Grayson following suit. “Matsamstha.”


End file.
